Western Dental Services

Notice none of you have a defense for Western Dental after that! They are awful. treat adults and children poorly, and should all be closed down. Any dentist from Bellflower, Huntington Beach, or Costa Mesa Offices, I hope karma found you.

I took in my two children in for a check up. My 4yr old daughter had 1 cavity in the back. And had a filling done. On the other hand, MY 2.5 yr old son, had 2 cavities found on his 2 front teeth... This was by far the worst experience ever, that I ever experience. I've always like going to the dentist... and wanted my children to have the same feel... fun, comfortable, and welcoming environment. The Vietnamese dentist lady, said they had to strap him in order to prevent him from moving around... and so that way she can finish up quicker. I had no ideal what was gonna happen to me... they told me that it is best to wait in the waiting room. BUT boy, I can hear my son's voice crying the whole time. I wanted to march in there and stop them! My son cried and struggled through the whole process! I just dont understand how Western Dental can work in that condition... having a toddler, strapped up and crying out loud and working inside his mouth for 40 plus minutes! What a [censor]en horror night mare! To see my baby in that kind of condition and feel so helpless! After the procedure was done... The dentist stated "This is the best we can do..." and I asked if the silver cap will fall off with his natural tooth... she says "Hopefully it does..." What the [censor] is that suppose to mean? So after they unwrapped him from the strap, my son was so weak from crying, sweating, and had little red dotty spots all over his neck and under his eyes...

I do not recommend any one going to western dental... It will be a night mare for you as a parent and for your child... Please go to a pediatric dentist... I should have listen to the bad reviews and complaints about western dental...

precious_anjo@yahoo.com

Refused to- At the time, I went in once a year for a check up. This happened a year or so before my son's birth, and I had two little kids. It took for this tooth to get infected before Western Dental did anything for it. I don't even think the dentist knew what he was doing. He spent an hour drilling on my teeth, and I had one of my young son's with me, so I think he got tired of dealing with him, and sent me home without capping the tooth. A couple of hours later, my tooth was in excruciating pain, and I called the dentist office at Western Dental, were the dentists handling the night time emergencies told me just to take the Motrin I was given and come back for my appointment several days later. This ticked me off, and I went to another dentist on an emergency basis two days later. The stupid dentist from Western Dental in Costa Mesa, made a mistake I assume and drilled into my nerve and left it exposed. A few days later, it was infected, and the dentist gave me antibodies and some type of pain killer, as well as a numbing agent for my teeth. She fixed the problem once the tooth could be cared for.

My second issue with Western Dental was the Huntington Beach office. When I was pregnant, my regular dentist refused to see patients that were pregnant. I had a tooth that was killing me, I went to a different Western Dental, because they would see me even when I was pregnant. First off, the dentist office went back and forth with my obgyn. I had to go back and forth at least four times. My obgyn needed to indicate what pain meds I could take, or what procedures they could do. All the while, my tooth was bothering me. Finally, I saw the dentist who told me nothing was wrong with the tooth. He looked over the medications for pain the obgyn said I could take, if I needed too. I didn't want pain medication, I wanted the dentist to fix the pain in that tooth. He accused me of wanting pain medication, and told me nothing was wrong with the tooth. He sent me home, after accusing me of being a drug abuser. I never took anything worse than Tylenol when I was pregnant. I wanted the dentist to fix the tooth, not give me pain meds! I didn't fill out the authorization of what scripts of pain med I could have my obgyn did! How the hell would I even know what pain medication are what!? It was awful, and went home and cried. I ignored the pain for quiet some time because the dentist told me nothing was wrong with that tooth. I went back to my regular dentist, after my son was six months old. Guess what! The tooth had a huge cavity, that now extended to another tooth. That dentist told me it had to have been there for quiet a while for it to be that bad. It was also getting infected, and she thought it was because a filling had probably fell out. It was infected so once again I had to do a antibiotic regiment. She had to do a root canal on that tooth, as well as drill and do a filling on the next tooth. But according to the dentist at Western Dental, there was nothing wrong with that tooth! ( The dentist offered me pain meds, but I was breast feeding and refused them.)

I was pretty lucky with my kids, because known of them had any really bad dental problems. Just so you know, I did have deep roots when I was young, and my parents had a heck of a time trying to prevent me from getting cavities. I don't think that anything helped until the dentist found some kind of sealant for my teeth.

I have been to several Western Dental offices is SO CAl Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, and the Bellflower one. As far as I could tell, all of them are horrible. I have given them chances, but I am done.

People and children need some compassion, and need to trust their dentist. I don't think that Western Dental does this at all. Because of all these horrible experiences, I have put off going to the dentist, and now I have need of some major dental work. Some of these experiences were really mentally taxing. I have a phobia now. I never ask for pain medication from the dentist. I actually had one call me because I left before he could give me some. He was afraid I was in pain. Dealing with dentists that accuse you have being a drug addict, or not showing any concern for the pain that I was feeling... Made me feel like I had done something wrong... Which I hadn't.

That is why I thought it was horrible what that dentist did to that little girl. Why wouldn't the dentist have one of the dental assistants explain to her how to care for her teeth, or explain why this child had so many cavities. If it was just brushing her teeth, any normal dentist would take the time to explain how to prevent them in the future. Was the child given soda? Did the child not have supervised teeth brushing? Was it because of having the bottle to long? It just seems that the dentist lacked compassion, refused to properly explain what would happen to the child, or try and make sure that the child in the future wouldn't have these issues anymore.

Most of the time we are trusting the dentist and dental facilitates to have our children
best interest at heart, but Western Dental doesn't. It's only concern is making money. This Western Dental should have explained the procedure her little girl was going to undergo, and with such extensive dental problems referred her to a child dental specialist. Also, the mother should have been given instructions of what her daughter aftercare. Can you imagination being tied down, and undergoing an hour of dental care at that age? I agree, the mother should have been making sure that her daughter was brushing her teeth. But, that still doesn't give this facility the right to treat toddler that way! I hate the dentist now after experiencing the way I was treated. I can just not even imagination what that poor girl feels towards dentist.

The dentist was the one to expose the nerve after drilling in it. He didn't have time to finish it that day. Once the Novocaine wore off I was in excruciating pain. I called and the dentist ignored my complaints, and said to come to my next appointment a couple days away. The dentist was the one who left the nerve exposed. The attending dentist did give me Motrin, but not any antibiotics. After that horrible experience, I went to another dentist, a non Western Dental Dentist, and she said the tooth was infected and the nerve was exposed. She was horrified and gave me antibiotics and pain medication. It took a few days before the tooth could be worked on. Due to swelling and infection. She fixed the tooth, and I didn't go back to that Western Dental again. I had no idea that the tooth would hurt that bad. It was horrible, and at the time my son was small, and to have to deal with it was horrible.

I feel terrible for what happened to your daughter given also the fact that she is at such a young age. Yet, the doctor did perform the dental treatment that was needed for her to prevent any further pain.Im sure there were other kids in the office that needed dental treatment as wel that also left swollen.Yes, Children do tend to behave better without the parent in the room. Only because with a parent in the room they become more apprehenive while the parent is there because the child doesn't even want to be there in the first place! Swollen lip? She was most probably chewing on her lip especially because being numb is so new to her. She didn't know what was going on.Were you not advised to watch her as the numbness will wear off? To not allow her to bite on her lip or cheek because she's numb? Proper oral hygiene could've prevented this from happening in the first place. You cant expect a 3 year old MOST ESPECIALLY A 3 YEAR OLD! to properly brush his or her own teeth can you!? They still need parental supervision when doing this!

You did NOT have to agree to get her dental treatment done there! You could've opted for a referral for a place that sedates children in order not to tramatize the child.

lala niam- i hope from this you've learned to brush your childs teeth and help her get the proper oral hygiene. it's not the doctors fault nor your daughters. But yours.

Slynn1- You would also like to add onto her complaints? You had an exposed nerve? Were you offered a way to be treated for the pain? Or did you just opt out to ask for pain medications? Why was it only then that you decided to go the dentist because you were in pain? or did you need a check-up? Think about it. Why would a doctor prescribe you pain medications that are stronger than motrin 800 without treatment done? The pain medications would have not helped your situation AT ALL. The tooth needed treatment. Not vicodin.Not Norco. Pain medications will not make the problem go away.

As for children not needing novacaine?! So what do you expect a doctor to use when a childs tooth is being worked on? When the cavity is so large on the poor child that it needs a 'baby root canal' IT IS normal to be swollen even adults become swollen after extensive dental treatment! and to finish the little girls whole mouth?! The child IS NOT even sedated! Whats more tortuerous one side. Or her whole mouth!? She sees everything thats going on. YOU wouldve asked for your 3 year olds teeth to be pulled? You must not know that can cause her more problems in the future! It's a 3 year old! SHE NEEDS TEETH!

So, all the compassion i feel is for the child, because SHE is the one that was laying there needing the dental treatment because mom doesnt brush the childs teeth. When even on the instructions on the toothpaste says.. " 2 or 3 year old is to PROPERLY SUPERVISED when BRUSHING and RINSING "

Proper education on brushing is offered everywhere. Even on the internet!

Brenda,
None of my children had cavities at three, mostly because I breast fed them. It doesn't matter why she had the cavities, but how the poor little girl was treated at this facility. At Western Dental, they also don't give patients any type of pain relief either. I had an exposed nerve, and they gave me Motrin. Have you ever had an exposed nerve? It is quiet painful! At that young of age, the dentist could have recommended a child specialist, and she could have been given something to make her more comfortable. I know because I had a friend that child had many dental problems when she was little, and they gave her something to help her calm down. It is barbaric to strap a small child in a chair and drill in their teeth for over an hour! If they were going to do it, they should have not done it all at once! She is only three years old! She will probably be afraid of the dentist for life!

When I was little I had a similar experience. I was about three years old and I cut my foot open and needed stitches. The [censor] doctor used Novocaine but it didn't work, I could feel them stitching my foot closed. The doctor had several orderlies and my mom holding me down. I kept yelling and screaming and he kept yelling at me. If he would have taken his time, allowed the medicine to work, or even given me something to keep me calm the whole experience would have been much better. After that, I would have a tantrum anytime I had to go to the doctors. I hated them! That is the way that little girl is going to remember the dentist.

Western Dental treats people like cattle getting antibiotic shots one after the other. Dentistry is scary for small children, and with a little compassion, talking to them, and just taking a little time to elevate their fears, a child can have a decent experience.

It is not normal for a child to have a swollen face after receiving dental care. Nor should she have been running a fever! I would have been livid too if my child had gone through that. The dentist showed no concern for the child. Not mention, Novocaine shouldn't be given to patients that young because they don't understand what is happening to them! They should have referred the poor girl out to a specialist that could have better handled her dental issues.

As a dentists, don't you think that [censor] dentist should have been asking the mother the questions you asked? Or taken the time to better education the mother how to avoid these types of dental problems in the future? Some children have dental issues because of heritability. They might have deep roots, or other problems that make them prone to cavities. Instead of crowning them that [censor] dentist should have pulled them! Show some compassion for that poor little girl, and how would you feel if that was your child?

They suck! Since your daughter was so young couldn't they give her some pain meds to make it easier for her? They show so little compassion for children or adults. They could care less if your child is in pain, or their discomfort. I am sorry your poor daughter went through that. I hope you found a better dentist than that witch! They are supposed to have a parent in the room while they are working on her. I have never heard of them forcing the mom out! You should complain to the dental board!